TEXTILES.ORG
The TeKiDe project is a collaboration between VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Aalto University with the goal of transforming wood fibers and discarded cotton textiles, such as used sheets and towels, into viscose-type fiber to be used as raw material for textile products. The project focuses on the carbamate, BioCelSol and Ioncell-F technologies, aiming for more environmentally friendly and safer production methods regarding the use of carbon disulfide.
Recently, VTT’s Bioruukki Centre in Espoo has created a pilot using a wet-spinning technique. The pilot includes numerous steps: collection of waste textiles; removal of mechanical parts, such as buttons and zippers; grinding of textiles; chemical pretreatment; cellulose modification (such as carbamation), dissolution in sodium zincate; filtering of the solution; air removal; spinning; post-processing of the fiber (such as bleaching) and drying. One goal of TeKiDe is to develop a recovery system that will enable closed water and chemical loops in the Ioncell-F process.
The project is funded by the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council’s Structural Fund for Mainland Finland programme, the City of Espoo, VTT and Aalto University. The TeKiDe project began last autumn and will be completed by the end of 2018.
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